How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?

it was years ago when they just called it stomach stapling, I wanted to have it done but they didn't cover it when you had a HMO

Describe your experience with getting insurance approval for surgery. What advice, if any, do you have for other people in this stage?

my ins. co. didn't approve me, I had to do a self pay & now I'm about $20.000.00 in debt I only hope that I will lose the weight & keep it off

What was your first visit with your surgeon like? How can people get the most out of this meeting?

I had a good 1st meeting, people should ask all the questions that they have about everything the fees, hospital stay, risk, diet, exercise, the surgery itself everything that you can think of

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I am determinted to lose weight at all cost this is my last hope

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

my eating habbits

What fears did you have about having complications or even dying from from the surgery, and what would you tell other people having the same fears now?

do as much research about your doc. as you can & the surgery if you don't feel right about it don't do it cause remember it is permenite

How did your family and friends react to your decision? Would you have communicated anything differently if you could now? How supportive were they after your surgery?

they said that I was crazy to do this, they are very supportive of me now that I have had the surgery & encourage me to lose weight & get fine & sexy

How did your employer/supervisor react to your decision? What did you tell him/her? How long were you out of work?

my job is very unconcerned about you all they want to know is how long you will be out from work, as of yet I have not returned to work I am 3 wks. post-op & my stomach is still to big to fit in my uniform pants

What was your stay in the hospital like? How long where you there? What things are most important to bring?

if you can get a private room I was in there for 3 nights & left on the 4th day all you need is toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, comb, or brush, a extra blanket & or pillow you may want to bring your robe another nightgown isn't needed you are not going to want to deal with all that other stuff

Did you have any complications from the surgery? If so, how did you deal with them?

no complications, although I had a headache & my doc. sent me to have some test to make sure I didn't have a leak or tare inside but all was fine I think it was cause I could't sleep

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

I was happy & tried to eat everything that I thought I wanted before surgery, I got really nervous & had them to move up my surgery date so I wouldn't chiken out

Describe your first few weeks home from the hospital. What should people expect from this period?

I was in alot of pain I still couldn't sleep I am a stomache sleeper & being on my back & side is still offaul, the pain is pretty much gone except my doc. told me I am having muscle spasms that is painnn other than that it's all good I'm sick of liquids though every thing looks so good on the TV I can't wait til I can eat solids again

How far did you travel to have your surgery? (If far, how did this affect your aftercare?)

my doc. & the hos. is right next to each other & about 15 miles from my house & I take the toll road & that makes it easy

Please describe in detail what things you could and couldn't eat in the weeks and months following surgery. What foods have been off limits? Please explain how your dietary tolerance changed week-by-week, and then month-by-month since surgery.

my doc. wants you to stay on your liquid diet for 6weeks!!!! I have 2 1/2 weeks to go & then I move up to soft foods for another 3 weeks, this is killing me I dream about eating solids

What was your actvity level in the days and weeks after surgery?

my doc. wants you to walk twice a day & would like for you to get in a 3rd if you can

What vitamins and/or dietary supplements have you taken since your surgery?

I am on a liquid vitamin right now just as liquid pain med.

What side effects (nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbace, dumping, hair loss etc.) were worse for you? For how long after surgery did they persist? How did you cope with them?

the day after I came home I was very nausious, I wanted to vomit & tried to but it just wont come up & it makes your stomach hurt, like I said I'm a stomach sleeper so it's hard to sleep, as for the dumping only once I took to much liquid vitamin & it made me feel so BAD so far no hair loss & hope & pray it stays that way. Well I now get the dumping when I eat ice cream, & to much sugar. My hair loss started in the middle of my 5th month & I'm still losing hair. I have been taking the extra vitamins but as of yet they have not helped me. Other than that I still have not had any problems.

What was the worst part about the entire bariatric surgery process?

waking up after the surgey & being in all that pain I couldn't breathe & had to have oxgen, that & the pain of turning from on side to the other in the hos. bed.

What aftercare support group/program do you have? How helpful/important is this?

none as of yet

What is your scar like? Is this what you expected?

it is long! from my brest bone area to right above my navel, no I thought it would be wider & thicker it is very thin although you can see the place where all 30 staples were I'm going to try coco butter to see if it fades. Well my scar is still there the coco butter has helped though. It looks like a big zipper on my stomach.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I feel as if I'm losing to slowly, but my doc. & his nurse said that I'm doing well cause if you lose too fast that only makes you have more lose skin. Well my weight loss has seem to have slowed down now I only lost 2 pounds in the last month. I still eat very little, but I have not done my part by exercising. So that's my fault.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

not yet I've only lost about 8#s well they didn't weigh me the day I went in the hos. so the weight loss is from when I 1st went to the doc. No I haven't had people to treat me any different. I've now lost right at 70lbs. I look alot better & more people are noticing that I have lost weight & want to know my secret.